Australia set India 444-run target for India to win WTC title
London, Jun 10: Australia declared their second innings at 270 for 8 on day four, setting India a mammoth 444-run target to the win the World Test Championship final here on Saturday.
Australia had taken a massive first-innings lead of 173.
Resuming at 123 for 4 on Saturday, they added 147 runs before skipper Pat Cummins declared the innings an hour into the post-lunch session on the fourth day.
Alex Carey was the top-scorer for Australia in the second innings, scoring an unbeaten 66.
Mohammed Shami (2/39), Ravindra Jadeja (3/58), Umesh Yadav (2/54) and picked up the four wickets for India on day four.
Ajinkya Rahane (89) and Shardul Thakur (51) had guided India to 296 in the first innings after the top order collapsed.
Brief Scores:
Australia: 469 and 270 for 8 declared in 84.3 overs (Alex Carey 66 not out, Mitchell Starc 41, Ravindra Jadeja 3/58).
India 1st Innings: 296.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
